


The Dog And The Puppy

by deanandsam



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Bobby- Bloodhound, Dean-Alsatian, Dog Dean, Gen, Puppy Sammy, Sam-Irish Setter
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-12
Updated: 2018-12-21
Packaged: 2019-02-13 21:20:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 6,162
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12992754
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/deanandsam/pseuds/deanandsam
Summary: One day a dog finds a puppy. It's the start of a beautiful friendship.





	1. Chapter 1

The dog poked around the wealth of rubbish bins in the alleyway.

It was demeaning for a canine of his pedigree to rummage for scraps among the refuse of human consumption, but he was a big animal and his grumbling stomach demanded to be filled.

He scented the aroma of meat, it wasn't fresh but it was edible. He straightened up on his hind legs and with his front paws, hooked onto the edge of the bin.

A bag of what was probably past-the-date hamburger meat lay near the top. Luckily enough, it was just in reach of his muzzle.

Stretching his neck to the limit, he gripped the plastic with his teeth and pulled until with a thump, it fell to the ground.

:

Dragging his find away into the shadows, he was about to delve into the meat when he heard a squeaky sound coming from further down the murky alleyway.

His ears peaking, the dark-coated dog listened attentively, but the noise had stopped. He gave a grunt and got back to filling his stomach.

The meat wasn't too bad. Sometimes the humans threw away stuff that was perfectly edible.

:

The dog had plenty of experience of humans.

He'd been the pampered pet of a wealthy family until he'd gotten tired of being a toy for the spoiled children who ran rampage throughout the huge mansion, while the nannies their rich busy parents had entrusted the kids to, looked on uninterested.

One day, when the kids from hell had dressed him up as a clown, he decided he'd had enough. He'd hovered at the gates of the estate until they'd opened for a car to enter, then slipped out, cool as you please.

:

Life hadn't been easy though. He himself had been spoiled in a way, used to the best a dog could desire, but he had no regrets. He might be leaner, shiver from the cold on a winter's night, but he was free to wander where he wished, belonging only to himself.

He'd eaten his way through half of the burgers when he heard the sound once again. This time it seemed like a muted cry.

The dog, whose given name was Dean, turned and made his way further along the back alley.

:

There was no light there to illuminate the area, but his acute hearing told him something was alive and breathing. He nosed forward carefully. Humans could be evil at times. There were those who thought torturing an animal was 'fun'.

Finally he saw the cause of the sound. He could barely make it out in the darkness, but there was a small animal of some kind curled up in a dark corner.

"Hey," Dean said. "You need a hand?"

The animal gave a piteous woof. "So, a dog then," Dean mused, though now that he could see it better, it wasn't much larger than a household cat.

Making his way over, Dean looked down at the ball of fur. It was trembling, though he didn't know if it was from fear or because of the chill of the cold night air.

"Don't be afraid. I'm not gonna hurt you," Dean said. "What's wrong? Maybe I can help."

:

Part of the tiny dog's body unfurled and Dean found himself looking at the cutest puppy he'd ever set eyes on, its fur-coated face looking up at him in fear.

"Hey buddy," Dean said lowering his gruff tone. "It's okay. Don't be scared. You got a home? Are you lost? I can take you back to your owner."

The collar and tag around the puppy's neck told Dean that this was no stray.

Like himself it was probably some aristocratic puppy bought for a family, only to have somehow gotten lost.

:

"Leg hurts," the puppy whined.

"You gonna let me take a look, " Dean asked.

With a low snuffle the puppy gave his assent, and the bigger dog ran his tongue over the trembling hind-quarters of the pup, finding a huge tender lump on the left back leg.

The puppy gave a low moan as Dean's inquisitive tongue pressed lightly down on the protuberance, searching for a break, or something worse.

"It's just a strain," he sentenced pulling back. "It's not broken or anything. Just rest it up and you'll be fine in a day or two."

"Thanks," the puppy sniffed.

"You hungry, bud?"

The pup nodded.

"I'll be right back with some food. You got a name?"

"It's Sam," the pup replied.

Dean gave a wide doggy smile. "It suits you down to the ground, Sammy."

"Sam," the pup corrected, wrinkling its tiny snout, and so making the bigger dog's smile grow even wider.

:

A few minutes later, the pup was wolfing down on the raw burger meat, while Dean looked on amazed. "You sure can eat for a kid so small."

"That's because I'm an Irish Setter. I'm gonna grow big and tall," the puppy chattered on, seemingly recovered from his fright.

"That right?" Dean commented, cocking his head. "I find that difficult to believe seeing you now. Listen, there's gonna be some family looking for their pet. I can go get a human and bring him back here. The police will take you home."

"Uh-uh, I'm never going back. The kid there likes to hurt things, me included," the puppy said, his tiny long ears shaking vigorously.

:

He looked up at the Alsatian. "Can I stay with you?" he asked, his eyes wide and pleading.

Dean was taken aback by the power of the gaze. "I'm kind of a lone wolf, " he replied cautiously. "I can barely look out for myself."

"Please," the pup insisted. "I don't know why but I think we'd be good for each other."

:

The kid might be little, Dean mused, but he already had a shrewd head on his shoulders, not to mention a killer gaze that could fell an elephant!

"Well, okaaay. We'll see how it goes. If it doesn't work out, we can think of another way."

"Thank you, dude. What's your name? I never even asked," the puppy said.

:

"It's Dean. My owner was a big fan of some old actor called James Dean, so I got burdened with his name."

"I think it suits you!" the puppy huffed, his snout opening in a huge yawn.

Dean sighed. It seemed for better or worse, he was no longer alone.

"You still cold, Sammy?"

"Uh-huh," the pup squeaked with a full-body shiver.

Dean wound himself around the little guy who snuggled in close. "Thanks Dean," Sam managed to say before his eyes closed and his breathing evened out.

Dean used his tongue to paste down some of the puppy's rebel hairs which were tickling his nose, then settled in to sleep beside his new found friend.

Whatever tomorrow might bring, Dean knew his life on the road had just grown far more interesting.

The End


	2. Chapter 2

A low growl of warning issued from Dean’s throat, causing his (much) smaller companion to stare up at him in alarm.

‘Dean. Is danger coming?’ the pup at his side asked in a scared voice.  
‘Not danger, Sammy,’ Dean specified. ‘Just a dog I’d rather not run into.’

Unfortunately, the street had no visible turnoffs and a few seconds later the twosome were confronted by a strange looking mongrel, his dark coat spotted with brown.  
‘Cass.’ Dean growled his acknowledgement.

‘Long time no see, Dean. Found a new little friend, have you?’ Cass said baring his teeth. ‘Didn’t think you were into puppies, dude. Always thought you were one for the bitches. He’s really kind of cute. Not much use in a dog-fight though.’

‘Nice seeing you, Cass. But we’re in in a bit of a hurry,’ Dean grunted, attempting to circle around him.  
‘Is that any way to treat an old friend, Dean? There was a time you were glad of my help.’

Dean tilted his head, his eyes cold as he answered. ‘A lot of water’s passed under the bridge since then, Cass. Let’s just say we see things in a different way now. C’mon, Sammy. It’s time to eat.’

The pup trotted obediently behind his friend, but not before turning his head to glance back at the mongrel. The spiteful gaze in Cass’ eyes made him quickly look away. With a shiver, he quickened his pace to keep up with Dean.  
:  
‘Why don’t you like that dog?’ Sam asked, curious at Dean’s brusque attitude.  
‘It’s not important. Nothing you need to worry about, squirt.’  
‘But you said we were partners now, and partners share.’

Dean lowered his snout to stare at the puppy. ‘For such a little guy you sure know how to wheedle information out of me. If you weren’t so small, I’d classify you as highly dangerous!’  
‘I’ll be bigger than you one day,’ Sam said proudly. ‘Then you won’t be able to call me squirt anymore.’

‘We’ll see, SQUIRT, we’ll see,’ Dean said, his tongue lolling from his mouth in a lopsided grin.

‘So?’ Sam insisted.’ Why don’t you like this Cass?’  
Dean gave a low hoarse sigh. If he didn’t speak up, Sam would pester him until he did. Better to get it over with quickly.

‘There’s nothing much to tell. When I ran away from my owner, he was the first dog I met.’  
‘Just like you were the first I met,’ Sam chirped happily.

‘Yeah, like that. He was a year older than me, but he’d been on the streets since he was a puppy. Knew all the tricks of surviving.’  
‘Then what happened?’

‘He wasn’t a nice guy, that’s all. Cass took great pleasure in bullying smaller, weaker dogs. Not just scare them, but steal their food and all round terrorise them. Sometimes I thought he wanted them to fight back, just so he could hurt them.’

Dean shrugged his powerful shoulders. ‘I got fed up with him. The other dogs all avoided Cass, and in consequence they avoided me too, thinking I was like him.’

Sam wheezed. Keeping up with Dean when he was walking so fast was almost impossible.  
Though he was trying to hide it, his friend’s meeting with Cass had upset him more than he was letting on.

‘I don’t think he liked me very much,’ Sam declared with a huff. ‘When I looked back at him, he glared at me as if he wanted to kill me.’

‘He’s jealous, that’s all. He didn’t take it very well when I left. He’d gotten this weird idea in his head that we belonged together. Said his mom had told him.’

‘Wow.’ Sam stared up at Dean in awe. ‘Was his mom important?’

‘Na, he doesn’t know who his parents are, but he kept insisting his mom was an angelhound.’

‘I’ve never heard of that kind of dog,' Sam said, shaking his head emphatically.

‘Me neither,‘ Dean grunted. ‘Truth is he’s crazy, but not mad-crazy, cunning-crazy. If we ever run into him again, stay close to me kiddo. Understood?’

Nodding vigorously, his long straggly hair bouncing over his eyes, Sam assured him he would.

‘That's my pup! Now, let’s see what we can rustle up for dinner.’


	3. Chapter 3

Dean settled himself comfortably beneath the tree, its thick foliage rendering the space below cool and shady. He licked his chops to get the last morsels of meat from his teeth, settled his head on his paws and gave a long whine of satisfaction.

It wasn’t often that he managed to fill his stomach to its full capacity, but today had been one of those lucky days. Even Sam had gobbled his fill.  
Dean wondered where on earth the pup tucked it away! The pile of broken hamburger meat had seemed bigger that the little dog’s entire body.

‘You’re gonna end up puking all that food onto the roadside,’ the black dog had warned.  
‘No, I’m not,‘ Sam had replied, continuing to scarf down as much as he could. ‘I need to eat to grow big and strong like you.’  
‘In your dreams,’ Dean had grunted.

 

Closing his eyes, he anticipated some hot action. They’d passed a cute little poodle earlier, she was just the right kind of fodder for an enjoyable doggy fantasy!  
‘I’m gonna take a nap, Sammy. Try not to get into trouble while I’m asleep.’

‘Don’t worry, Dean. I just need to pay a visit to those bushes back there, but I’ll be right back to cuddle up with you.’  
The little puppy yawned. With his belly full, he too was ready for a nap.  
‘You’re worse than a tick when you burrow into me,’ Dean grumbled, but there was no heat to his words. In truth he kinda liked curling around the little dude.

This time though, he was to wait in vain, for the minutes passed and Sam didn’t return.  
At first Dean didn’t rate it as anything particular. The puppy had probably picked up a strange scent and was rooting around in the undergrowth, but as the time continued to slip away, he began to experience the first flashes of unease.

Pulling himself to his feet, he cocked his ears, straining to hear any unusual sounds, but all seemed quiet other than the hum of the city, a background noise he ignored.

Nose to the ground he sniffed around repeatedly to catch Sam’s scent, following the trail into the bushes nearby. He quickly found the spot where Sam had relieved himself, but where to now?  
Maybe the puppy had just gone off exploring but Dean feared it was not so. Something had stopped his little friend from coming back to him.

 

Thanking his lucky stars, Dean discovered the direction Sam had taken, and nose still glued to the ground, he followed the scent, padding along as quickly as he could, fearful of losing the faint whiff.  
A few yards on he came across a half-chewed piece of sausage. Had Sam been ENTICED away with a trail of food? The little dog would be attracted by the aroma, and even sated, he’d try to wolf it down.

Up ahead, the grass gave way to a path, one of the many criss-crossing the city park where he found himself. His muscles tensing, he flew along, stopping only when his paws hit the hard tarmac with a thump.

All his senses on red alert, Dean strained his eyes to search out any trace of the pup, first to the right then the left.  
There, in the distance he noticed a cluster of dogs. And if he wasn’t mistaken, Sam was among them.

Like a veritable fury he raced along the path, drawing to a halt in front of the little group, his stance vigilant and aggressive.

Four dogs surrounded Sam who was imprisoned in the middle. ‘Dean’ he called out at the glimpse of his friend, his voice trembling.

‘Cass! I should’ve known,’ Dean snarled. ’Let Sam through and I’ll forget you trying to kidnap him.’

‘Kidnap the little dude?’ Cass replied. ‘There’s some mistake. We were just trying to be friendly, weren’t we guys.’

Dean cast his eyes over the other three mutts who nodded dutifully. He’d never set eyes on their ugly mugs before. Cass must’ve recruited some new acolytes.  
‘He’s so cute, we fed him some of our best titbits.’  
His eyes hard, Dean tensed his muscles in attack mode. Four against one were poor odds. If it came to a fight, he’d come out of it badly. But if he was forced to engage, he would.

However, it seemed Cass had made his point, for he moved a few inches to the side, leaving space for the pup to pass.  
Although, Dean didn’t show it, his expression granitic, he was relieved when Sam ran to him without any of the four dogs trying to stop him.  
‘Get behind me Sammy,’ he growled.

‘There’s no need for that,' Cass declared smarmily, showing his teeth in what he interpreted as a grin. ‘We were just getting to know each other. Your little pal is such a cutie.’  
‘Keep away from us. Understand!’ Dean warned, his powerful shoulder muscles flexing to substantiate his threat.

‘I wouldn’t make empty threats, Dean. Four against one....and a toe-rag.' He nodded to the quivering Sammy. 'No bets on who wins. But we’ll be on our way. Things to do, dogs to see.’

With that and a last cackle from the three mongrels trailing after him, the dogs turned and headed off down the road before deviating into the undergrowth and disappearing from view.

‘You okay, Sammy?’  
The little pup hung his head in shame. ‘I’m sorry, Dean. It’s my fault. I was coming back when I saw some bits of sausage. I only meant to taste, but then that Cass and his friends appeared and they herded me away.'

‘Why didn’t you bark, call for help?’  
‘Cass whispered in my ear that if I didn’t keep quite they'd go and hurt you.’  
Cold fingers clutched Dean’s heart. Cass was up to something. This had been just a warning. 

He licked at the top of Sam’s head, his caress soothing the pup.

‘It’s not you’re fault, little dude. But we must be careful from now on. You can’t go off on your own any more, not even to take a piss.’  
Sam looked up to meet his friend’s eyes. ’I’m sorry, Dean,' he repeated. 'I’ve brought you nothing but trouble. You should just have left me back in that alleyway.’

‘Don’t ever say that again,’ Dean replied angrily.’ You’ve brought joy and companionship into the life of a lone dog who had neither.’  
At Dean's impassioned words, Sam whined his assent, but the little dog remained unconvinced. He’d complicated Dean’s life for the worse.

‘Come on, dude. My nap is long overdue. Let’s go.’  
Directing his little friend towards the chosen tree, the two dogs curled up together and sleep overcame them. For now, safe and secure.


	4. Chapter 4

So far, it had been a dog’s dream of a summer’s day. 

That morning Dean had indulged in a randy encounter with the sexy poodle he’d winked at the other afternoon; he’d eaten his fill at the back door of a nearby Mom and Pop diner; and now, after an ecstatic series of scratches at his nether regions, he was settling down for a monumental nap.

Even the puppy Sam had caved under the gorgeousness of the weather, curled up in a chestnut ball, soft purrs coming from his snout, more reminiscent of a cat than a canine.

Of course, there was nothing like a series of positives for it all to come crashing down into one huge negative!  
Before Dean had even posed his head on his paws, the sky had taken on a gun-metal hue and huge drops of rain began to fall heavily onto the warm grass, turning it from a soft bed to a muddy puddle in an instant. Factor in the strokes of lightening and rolls of thunder, and the day was well and truly spoiled.

In a second, Dean was drenched from his tail to the tip of his nose, and from what he could see through the now thundering rain, Sam had taken on the appearance of a wet sponge, the purrs morphing into frightened yelps.  
‘Dean. Help! The rain's gonna wash me away.’

‘I’m here, pup,' Dean assured him, gathering up his friend and hustling them both out of the park towards the first alleyway he could find.  
‘Why don’t we take shelter under the trees? ‘ Sam asked, throwing a glance back at the little copse they’d been resting in.

‘No, Sammy. I’ve seen lightening strike trees and if you’re unlucky enough to be caught under one, you’re fried. Better going for something more solid.’

 

By this time both dogs were soaked, the rain sliding down their coats like so many miniature waterfalls.  
‘Come on Sammy,’ Dean urged. ‘We need to get under cover.’

‘I can’t go any faster,' Sam yelped.

With a woof of exasperation, Dean caught the back of the pup’s neck carefully between his teeth and with Sam dangling like a Christmas tree ornament, he raced down the alley to where a sort of brick shelf butted out from the wall.

He set Sam down and made to squeeze under the protruberance when he felt a huff of hot breath on his head.  
‘This spot’s already taken,’ a deep hoarse voice wheezed. ‘Find yourself another.’

Dean almost jumped out of his skin. The last thing he expected was to find another occupant. A grumpy one at that!  
‘Sorry, dude. Didn’t think there would be anyone else under here.’  
‘Well, now that you know there is, idjit. Vanish.’

‘’Please, sir,’ a small voice piped up. ‘It’s raining so hard out there that it nearly swept me away. Can we stay just until it stops?’  
‘Well, I never. There’s two of you!’  
‘Yes, sir,’ Sam said. ’Dean was protecting me under his belly. That’s why you couldn’t see me’

‘Harrumph,’ The dog barked. ‘You’re truly a wisp of a thing.’  
‘One day, I’ll grow up big and strong and I’ll be even taller than Dean,’ the pup said earnestly, blinking up at the stranger.  
:  
The grumpy dog huffed and moved over. 'I guess you can stay until the rain stops.’

‘Thank you….?’  
‘Name’s Bobby,’ the bloodhound offered, his long ears and sagging jowls vibrating as he spoke.

‘Bobby. I like your name,' Sam chirped cheerfully. ‘Do you want to be our new friend. Dean’s very good at finding food and we can share.’

Bobby eyed Dean. ‘Is he always like this?’ he grunted, nodding at Sammy.  
‘Fraid so,’ Dean replied his tongue hanging out like a grinning exclamation mark.

‘Will you be our friend, Bobby. Will you?’

‘You’re an insistent little tyke aren’t you? Well, now,’ the bloodhound mused. ‘I suppose we could travel a stretch of road together.'  
‘Thank you, sir. Dean’s like my big brother. Can I call you Uncle Bobby?’

The bloodhound was taken aback by the puppy’s forwardness but there was something so innocent about him that the old dog knew his words were without malice.  
‘Why not? I’ve been called worse things.’

‘Uh, listen-Bobby,' Dean interrupted. 'Sam can be a little pushy at times. You don’t have to say yes to whatever he asks.’

‘I think I’m still in possession of my faculties, boy,’ Bobby growled. ‘But if you don’t want me along…’  
‘No, no. Whatever Sammy wants, Sammy gets!’ Dean stated with a wry nod .

‘That’s settled then,’ Bobby declared.  
But Dean knew nothing of this dog Bobby. He could only hope Sam’s intuition was sound!  
tbc


	5. Chapter 5

Bobby and Dean watched amused as Sammy ran his tail off chasing after a tacky little ball he’d found in the bushes.

‘Little pup’s got energy to spare,’ Bobby harrumphed. ‘Can’t remember when I was so damned sprightly.’

Dean snorted. ‘I’m guessing there’s still plenty of steam in your engine yet, dude.’

The bloodhound shook his head. ‘I’ve had my day. Just gonna take things easy ‘till I go off to the big Kennel in the sky.’  
‘How did you end up here anyway?’ Dean asked hastily, before Bobby got even more maudlin, something he had a tendency to do. ‘You always lived in the area?’

Bobby sniffed. ‘No, son. I was a guard dog back in the day. Out at a Salvage Yard in Sioux Falls. One of the best damn huntin’ dogs he’d ever had too, my owner used to say.’  
‘Wow, Sioux Falls. That’s a long way from here.’

‘Been on the road a long while,’ Bobby added. ‘Guess, this is gonna be my last stop.’

‘So, a guard dog, huh?’ Dean commented. ‘How come you didn’t stay on?’

‘Well, there were two of us at the yard, me and a female dog, Karen. We eventually became a couple. But one awful day there was an accident. She found herself in the wrong place at the wrong time. A car reversed and got her full on. After that, I just took up and left. Walked out through the gates. Didn’t have it in me to hang around. Too many memories.’

‘Damn, I’m sorry, Bobby. If I’d known….’ Dean began.  
‘Well, you weren’t to know, so no harm done, kid. It was a long while ago.’

 

Bobby had been with him and Sam a few weeks now and they’d gotten used to having the grumpy old dog around.  
This was the first time he’d volunteered any information about his past, though.  
A warm feeling washed over Dean. It really felt like the three of them were becoming a family, no longer just three strangers travelling together.

 

‘It’ll be dark soon. The days are getting shorter,’ Dean said, glancing up at the steel-grey sky. ‘Winter’s closing in. We need to think about finding a safe place to wait it out. Somewhere warm for when the snow arrives.’

‘Well, I think I can help there, kid. Found an old cabin in the woods durin' my explorations. It's well off the beaten track. Seems abandoned, but its sturdy and could do for us.’  
‘We can check it out,’ Dean said. ‘But Sam’s still a pup. He might need to have a warmer place to stay.’

‘Don’t know who’s gonna take in three strays, Dean,’ Bobby grunted. ‘Unless we find someone with a hell of a lot of Christmas spirit.’

‘We could leave Sammy at the door of rich human’s place. He’s so cute, they’d probably take him in.’  
‘Or take him to the dog pound!’ Bobby warned. ‘Then, Sam might be a wisp of a pup, but he’s a stubborn little critter.’

‘He is that, ‘Dean growled, remembering all the times the pup had unintentionally put himself in the way of danger. 

 

As if he’d heard them talking about him, Sam trotted up, the scruffy ball held firmly between his teeth.

Spitting it out at Dean’s feet, he looked happily up at him, little pink tongue hanging out in panting exhaustion.

‘You have a good time playing?’ Dean asked fondly, taking in the pup’s ruffled appearance.  
‘It was great fun, Dean. But now I’m tired and really hungry.’

‘Let’s get a move on towards the alley then. See if the diner's put out some food yet. Don’t get why you young’uns need to use up all that energy running around like mad things anyway,' Bobby grumbled.

‘I bet you did it too, Uncle Bobby,’ Sam said, taking up a stance at Bobby’s side. ‘You must have been a pup like me once.’  
‘Well, if I was, it’s so long ago that I can’t recall,’ the old dog huffed.

‘I’m always gonna run around,‘ Sam declared solemnly. ‘Even when I’m old.’  
‘Good luck with that, son,’ the bloodhound barked.

Bringing up the rear, Dean gave a toothy smile as he listened to the two chattering away. He was blessed to have found such worthy companions to share his days.

To keep both safe, fed and happy, Dean knew he’d do everything in his power.

tbc


	6. Chapter 6

The air was getting colder by the day, the once verdant greenery of the City Park had given way to the rusts and maroons of autumn. Before long, snow would cover the grass, bushes and thickets Dean, Sam and Bobby had played around in during the summer months.

‘You know, Bobby,’ Dean declared as the threesome strolled along a deserted sidewalk, ‘that cabin you mentioned is getting more appealing by the minute. At least it’ll keep the snow off our backs.’

‘I’ve never seen the snow,’ Sammy piped up excitedly. ‘But I’m gonna roll around in it until I look like the snowmen in the shop windows.’

Bobby shook his head at the arrogance of youth. ‘After you’ve had your mini-balls frozen off, you won’t find that idea so enticing, pup.’

Dean gave one of his throaty growls. ‘Kid’s never gonna believe you, Bobby. He has to experience it for himself. That’s how they learn.’  
‘That’s how accidents happen, you mean,’ Bobby grumbled. ‘Adults gotta look out for hard-headed pups, ‘specially ones like Sammy here, who ain’t afraid of nothin’.

Sam lifted his shaggy little head to gaze up at the bloodhound, a twinkle in his eye. ‘That’s not true, Uncle Bobby. You scare me a lot,’ he squealed, running rings around and around the older dog. ‘See how scared I am of you, Uncle Bobby! See! See!’

Bobby shook his head, his long ears vibrating in disapproval. ‘Whippersnapper,’ he grunted, though if one was attentive, a glimmer of amusement could be seen to sparkle in the soulful, brown eyes.

:  
With a low growl, Dean loped on ahead, his tail swishing in exasperation at the exchange. Let them bait each other, he had other things to worry about, like finding shelter for the winter.

Unlike Sammy, Dean HAD seen snow, and experienced the rigours of winter while he was still with his owners before running away- and winter wasn’t something he wanted to go through without a roof over his head.

So immersed in his thoughts was he, that he didn’t notice Lisa, the cute poodle he’d had a couple of very satisfying sexy encounters with. Her owner usually had her on a leash when on the street, but in the park, during the summer, she and Dean had been able to indulge in their amorous activities.

‘Hi, Dean,’ Lisa said with a toss of her head as he approached.  
Mrs Benson, her owner, was deep in conversation with one of her bosom buddies, paying no attention whatsoever to the trio who'd taken up a stance next to her dog. 

 

‘Hi, baby,’ Dean woofed, his tongue hanging out in appreciation of Lisa’s very enticing body, clad for the cold weather in a fluffy scarlet coat.  
At least to the humans, it seemed Dean had woofed, but that was humans for you! They didn’t even have the kudos to understand the barks, whines and various nuances of the canine language. 

‘Mrs Benson’s out for her daily walk, I’m guessing?’ he asked.

‘Yeah. It’s so boring,’ Lisa huffed. ‘She always takes the same route and talks to the same people.’

‘Another reckless young’ un,’ Bobby harrumphed, settling down on his haunches at Dean’s side. ‘Be glad you've got a roof over your head, young lady, and a kindly, old human looking out for you.’  
‘I suppose,’ Lisa agreed. ‘We’re going to visit her son and his family for Christmas. That’s great fun,’ she added excitedly.

‘Do you have anywhere lined up for winter?’ she asked Dean.

‘Fraid not, baby. We’re still looking---- don’t worry about us. You enjoy your holiday.’

‘But how will you manage? And with Sammy so little too.’  
Dean shrugged his powerful shoulders. They’d make do somehow. At least that was the brave face he put on for others.

 

‘Listen,’ Lisa said, lowering her voice. ‘I shouldn’t tell you this, for I was asked to keep it a secret, but I know and trust you, Dean and I wouldn’t enjoy Christmas at the thought of you shivering in the snow.’

Dean cocked his ears in puzzlement. What on earth was Lisa going on about?

‘I’ve heard through the dogs who’ve come visiting Mrs Benson with their owners, that there’s a kind of Haven for strays. It’s geared mostly towards females, who’ve been mistreated by their masters and kicked out, or who’ve run away. But I’m sure if they see you have a young puppy, they might let you in.’

‘A dog haven? ‘Dean repeated sceptically. ‘I’ve never heard of anything like that before, not run by dogs anyway.’

‘I’m not joking, Dean,’ Lisa whined in a high-pitched tone. ‘It does exist.’  
She looked up at Mrs Benson who was about to take her leave of her friend and hastily gave out more information. ‘It’s on the southern outskirts of the city. A rundown warehouse, so the gossip says. Keep on walking until you leave the last houses at your back and then ask around. It’s run by a female Labrador called Ellen.  
See you around Dean!’ Lisa winked as she trotted off at the old lady’s side.  
TBC

‘


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if this chapter's a bit short.  
> My computer has given up the ghost. Getting a new one at Christmas.  
> This is as much as I can bear to write on my cell-phone.lol

It took the three companions hours of walking before they reached the city limits.  
They'd set out bright and early, hoping to find this hypothetical 'dog haven' before night fell. 

The directions Dean had been given by Lisa were vague at best, and the Alsatian had doubts they'd ever find it, that is of course if the place really existed. She'd mentioned it was a warehouse, but as he took in the abundance of stark buildings looming up ahead, he realized it'd be no easy task to search them all one by one.

'Now what'? Bobby asked. 'How are we going to do this? Maybe it'd be better if we split up and each take a different direction. It could take days to sniff out this 'haven' otherwise.'

A whine of despair left Dean's throat. 'Yeah, Bobby. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all.'  
'I'm tired,' Sam pitched in. 'And hungry. We've been walking all day and my belly's empty.'  
Dean bumped up against the puppy-dog. 'I know, kiddo. Just hang in there a little bit longer.'

Sam turned his head and rubbed his face against Dean's fur. 'Okay,' he sighed, basking for a moment in the warmth of the bigger dog's body.

Just as the sun was setting, so was the temperature falling. Soon it would be freezing cold. 

'No Bobby,' Dean said, getting back to the old dog's suggestion. 'Even if we could cover more ground by splitting up, it's not on. We stay together. There could be danger out there and I wouldn't be able to protect either of you if you run into trouble.'

' Sucks to get old,' Bobby replied, his jowls quivering in frustration. 'I remember when I could take on a pack of whippersnappers with two of my paws tied together....' 

'Come on guys. let's get looking,' Dean declared, trying to infuse a touch of optimism into his voice. 'With a bit of luck we'll be curling up in a warm place for the night.'

Surely the god of canines was gazing benevolently down on the three friends, for as they made their way around the first of the gray, square buildings, a dog materialized as if by magic, right in front of them.

What the...' Dean burst out in alarm, immediately taking up position at the head of their little group. 

'Who are you and what are you doing sneaking around here?' the dog asked with a snarl. 'This is private ground.'

Dean gave an incredulous snort. 'Private ground? It might be, but I doubt it belongs to any dog!'

'This warehouse is abandoned. Finders keepers. It belongs to us now, and we don't like trespassers, so be on your way.'

'Please,' Sammy chirped up, pushing though Dean's legs to the forefront. 'We've walked a long way to get here. Is this the dog haven we've heard about?'

The dog, a female Collie, turned her gaze on him. 'Who told you that?' she asked, a disapproving tone in her voice. 'We don't advertise, pup. If we did, every Tom, Dick and Harry would be queuing up at the door.'

'But my name's Sam,' the pup continued, his blue-green eyes gazing up at the Collie with endearing innocence. 'And this is Dean and that's Bobby. Maybe you can let US in?'

For a moment the Collie stared at the pup in disbelief, then she let out a hoot of laughter.  
'Wow....you really are good....Sam! I bet you could wheedle a juicy steak from a starving pooch and even get him to say thanks!'

Sam continued to stare up at her, while Dean and Bobby exchanged complicit eye-rolls. The kid was as cunning as a fox!

'Name's Ellen,' she said, a trace of humor still in her voice. 'So, i guess we're gonna have three new guests tonight. No promises, mind you. We vet all our new arrivals before we take them on as full members of our group.'

'Fair enough,' Dean agreed, following the Collie as she slinked behind a wall of overgrown hedges. 'I'd do the same myself.'

All of a sudden, she vanished except for her tail. 'Come on, don't hang back.' The three friends shared a glance and with a shrug followed the 'tail' into what seemed to be an old pipe of some kind, barely wide enough to allow them to pass through.

'What is this?' Dean asked.

'It's our way in,' Ellen replied. 'Well hidden to protect us all.'  
As the little group reached the other end, the sounds of movement and the chatter of dogs could be heard.

'Welcome to 'The Road House', Ellen said proudly. 'A community that takes care of its own and tries to help others when it can.'

At least thirty pairs of eyes glittered curiously in the semi-darkness of what was some kind of basement, at the approach of the newcomers.

tbc


End file.
